Five ways to put emotion into your copywriting

Putting "emotion" into your copy is something that most marketers and copywriters don't talk about. It's not always the easiest or most natural thing to do. The natural thing to do is for you to talk and sell to prospects logically. We usually do this by talking about a product/service features.

The sales messages you write should talk to your prospects like you would talk to a friend. One way to do that is to use your prospects name often. But in an advertisement, newsletter, or other mass communication you may not be able to call your prospect by their name -- but there are other ways to "talk" to the reader in a more personal tone.

Here are a few different ways you can put emotion into your marketing messages:

1. Don't talk in corporate speak. Use terms like "you" and "your" rather than "the". For example, "your coffee" versus "the coffee".

2. Have a clear idea of who you are talking to. Picture one specific person you are talking to, not the variety of people that will be reading it. I tell my copywriting students to actually put a photo of this person on their monitor while they're typing so they remember to talk to that one person. The picture helps you stay focused.

3. Talk to your customers and prospects like you would a friend. Be conversational. One way to check your copy is to read it out loud. Does it sound like you talk or does it sound like you write? They are different. In school we are taught to "write" scholarly, not conversationally. Throw everything you learned out the window  write like you talk for your marketing pieces.

4. Let your personality shine through. It's ok to be different  people like you for it. People "see" you because of it. If you like to travel, have three crazy kids, or love bungee jumping  share that with your readers. Your personality will make you stand out from the other 3,000 advertisements your readers are exposed to each day. A great example of this is my friend Michelle. Check out her web site at www.mlsalater.com. Can you tell what she loves to do in her spare time?

5. People buy based on emotion, not logic. While it is important you include logical reasons in your copy to justify a purchase that, those logical reasons should be a small part of the actual selling you do. Talk to prospects emotions by addressing the benefits your product provides. Talk emotionally about how it will help them.

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Kelly Robbins, founder of The Copywriting Institute, is the author of Powerful Interviewing Techniques for Healthcare Marketers and The Healthcare Copywriters Toolkit. Kelly Robbins is an award winning healthcare copywriter and marketing coach/consultant. Publisher of "The Copywriting Connection", Kelly helps writers and marketers learn to write phenomenal copy. Contact Kelly to receive her free report, "Six things every copywriter MUST know to make high profits in copywriting fast!" at www.TheCopywritingInstitute.com or 303-460-0285.